In order to save time, I’ve been cutting my own hair. It works for a period but over time, it becomes a right mess as bad hair days turn to bad hair weeks and months.

I nipped out yesterday to get a haircut at my regular S$7 barbershop at Ayer Rajah but it was closed.

A few doors away, a hairdressing saloon was open. There were no customers in there and a stylist was available.

I decided to try her out.

I had SUCH a DELIGHTFUL hair cut (I should call it a hair styling now) bantering with the stylist. Lovely lady, a Malaysian Cantonese from KL, she’s been in Singapore for 20 years. She has one daughter studying Engineering at ITE.

After I paid her the S$10 for the haircut, she said “Thank you”, while shaking her head from side-to-side, Indian style. When I pointed that out to her in good nature, she burst out laughing! She realised she inadvertently did that because I am Indian.

Share this:

Like this:

I was interviewed for a documentary on the CK Tang family. First aired on Tuesday, 14th June 2016 in Singapore

Their names are found in Singapore’s history books – but who are the Tangs, Jumabhoys, Aljunieds, Sarkies, Yongs and Eus? How did they build some of the country’s most iconic places and institutions while raising their families? Enter a world of love, power and ambition in NO ORDINARY FAMILY. Stories of triumph over adversity as each episode zooms in on key pivotal moments, highlighting the dramatic events they faced to continue the family name.

I was driving along South Buona Vista Road on a Friday. I saw an elderly Chinese gentleman struggling to walk. He was ragged and very poorly. So I stopped at the side of the road, turned on my hazard lights and approached him.

He couldn’t speak English.

I was with someone who could. So she spoke to him and translated.

He was injured – scabs, limping, and smelling of alcohol. He had beers and empty beer cans in a supermarket type of plastic bag.

He was trying to get to a polyclinic. But all the cabs he hailed sailed pass him (I’m guessing because of how he looked).

I offered to give him a lift.

Just at that moment, a youngish (I’m guessing 30-something) Malay gentleman came up to us. He asked what was wrong. We explained.

He immediately took over. He said he worked at the National University Hospital. He advised me not to give the gentleman a lift to the polyclinic. He explained that if anything should happen along the way, I could be held liable.

But I insisted this man needs help.

The Malay gentleman completely took over. He reiterated he worked at NUH so he knew exactly what to do. He said he’d call an ambulance and wait with the man. He insisted we be on our way as he could handle this.

I thanked him for his kindness.

He then sheepishly admitted that he was on his way to the mosque when he noticed us. As he made his way to the mosque, he thought to himself, “What kind of Muslim am I to walk away from this?”

So he decided to turn around to help this man (and as it turned out, help us).

I am a Christian – a born-again one at that.

This man was the Good Samaritan. He is Muslim.

Luke 10:30-37:

Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.

Why do I share this?

Because Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.